Keep on Keeping On

As promised, here's a picture of me at the top of the mountain I climbed on Monday.  I was channeling Rocky - "gonna fly now"...

I'll quickly tell you about this morning.  Trainer Jonathan did a cardio boot camp...one of the most challenging classes we take.  For 50 minutes the trainer tells us what incline and speed to put the treadmill on and we either walk or run.  My husband was on the treadmill beside me and we killed it! 

We were sprinting for 1 minute, then recovering for 2 minutes for 10 minutes. 
Then we were sprinting for 15 seconds and recovering for 45 seconds for a series. 
Then we did a series where the sprinting increased to 30 seconds on and 30 seconds recovery. 
Then a series of 45 seconds on and 30 seconds recovery. 
Finally, a series of 1 minute on and 30 seconds recovery. 

Each time we had to increase our speed.  Yesterday, the fastest I've sprinted was 4.2 speed.  Today - 5.5 speed.  That's a huge jump!  Eric was up to 7.5 speed - he's a beast!

Did a few more training sessions, but my next favorite was personal training with Amber.    Amber is this 5'3" gorgeous powerhouse!  She holds the title of Miss Fitness Hawaiian Islands for 2008!

Amber had me doing her favorite arm workout.  At the end she wanted me to do tricep dips.  I haven't been able to do those since I was about 28-yrs-old.  I didn't think I could do it, but she assured me after actually seeing my biceps (when they poked out beyond the extra flesh surrounding them) that I could do them.  She was Right!  I did 4 sets of 15! 

It's been a great day of accomplishments!

The Eye of the Tiger

Yesterday was a huge day for me.

 I did the Santa Monica bike ride again. I did it the 1st week with Desi and we made it out about 6.5 miles, it took forever, we huffed & puffed all the way, our legs and butts were sore for 2 days afterwards.


But yesterday we owned the bike ride!


We did the 10 miles from Maxella St. in Marina Del Rey to Temescal Canyon Road in Pacific Palisades and back with great lung capacity and strong legs…and it took under 2 hours! Desi wasn’t sure she could do it when we set out, but after only a couple miles she realized she had indeed improved greatly from week 1. So we were victorious in the morning.

Then came the afternoon victory! Due to my tree pollen allergies I hadn’t been scheduled for the hike yet. Desi did the hike her very 1st week and she got sick as a result - she got dehydrated and tried so hard to keep up with everyone else that she hurt her leg. Upon completion she had the chills the rest of the night and she had a bum leg for 4 days.

She was really apprehensive to attempt the hike again. I’ll admit, I was quite nervous. I’ve never attempted to hike a mountain and I had butterflies in my belly during the ride to the mountain. We split up into 2 groups - Desi & I stayed behind with Trainer Bronson.

The 1st half of the mountain is about 10 switchbacks that climb up higher and higher. After each switchback I was out of breath and had to stop for about a minute before continuing on. Taking a short breather was a smart idea because I never really ran out of energy. I kept plugging away and managed to get through all the switchbacks in pretty good shape.

After the switchbacks the rest of the climb is very doable…more climbing but only at certain intervals of the mountain. Yesterday was a foggy, cool day and we managed to climb above the fog to find the sun smiling down on us as we climbed higher and higher. Periodically we’d stop to smell the roses and look at the scenery. It was a gorgeous panorama!


So, we made it to the top and Bronson took a picture of me! It’s still on his cell so I have to get him to forward it to me, then I’ll post it - hopefully tomorrow.

My secret is I never looked up to see how high I had to climb. My other secret is I had my ipod and put on great tunes with a beat so I would dig in and climb to the beat. Coming down was difficult too…some parts were very steep and I had to walk down sideways in those sections to prevent myself from falling.

All in all I knew I had a tough day ahead of me, but I was determined to complete both the bike ride and the hike. I can do more and more everyday and knowing that I set a goal and didn’t allow myself an “out” is very satisfying! I didn’t use my sore legs as an excuse. I never thought I would ever climb a mountain…but I did and it’s a great feeling of accomplishment and pride!


Next time you have a big goal get the Eye of the Tiger!

Feeling Stronger Everyday

That’s exactly how I feel. This week was a great one for me.


It started out with a Bang when the Singulair & Zyrtec finally kicked in to STOP the tree pollen from affecting me. I was able to work out all day every day this week.

My cardio is improving.
I can full out sprint for 2 minutes right now. That may not seem like a lot, but for me as an obese 48-year-old woman who hasn’t run in 20 years that’s a huge accomplishment!

I biked 15 miles from Marina Del Rey to Santa Monica and it was a breeze. I did that same bike ride my very 1st week here and it was very hard both on my legs and lungs. But this time I put my ipod on some jammin’ tunes and got in my zone and just kept going. Actually, I was the leader of a group of newbies who hadn’t done the bike ride before so I had to look like I knew what I was doing…lol!

I finally got back to the Santa Monica Stairs this week. I did them the 1st week and was totally freaked out by the big black hole I was climbing down into. My fear allowed me to only do the stairs twice. I spent the rest of the time speed walking the gorgeous neighborhood that overlooks the Pacific Palisades with a view of the Pacific. This time I had Trainer Bronson with me…the most inspirational of all the trainers. He walked down in front of me so I could only see his back and the 3 stairs directly in front of me. Then we climbed back up. I did 4 trips this time which amounts to 800 stairs. I know I’ll eventually have to get over this fear of climbing down, but for right now I’m sticking with what works.


My strength is improving.
This week I graduated to heavier weights on pretty much every machine I use.

I also graduated from modified planks to full planks. I can’t do them for the full minute, but I start out with a full plank, then revert to the modified version for the remainder of the time. Eventually, I’ll be doing the full plank the entire time. Planks are the ultimate abs/core exercise - say goodbye to your muffin top!

Modified Front Plank

Full Front Plank

 

Full Side Plank

 When the Going Gets Tough
The tough get going!

Between Schuyler giving me bi-weekly boxing lessons and Bronson giving me weekly mixed martial arts/self defense lessons I’m much tougher than I ever was. This week Bronson focused on some Krav Maga and Kung Fu defense techniques which were really cool. I think my college daughter and all her friends need to take lessons with Bronson. He’s been teaching this for some time and actually had a former client write to thank him for his lessons. She was attacked in a mall bathroom and she kicked the guys ass! Now that’s what I call Girl Power!



Push It Real Good
The trainers watch me very carefully and know how hard they can push me. And, of course, I push myself. I’m always hard on myself and think I can do better. I never give myself a break which is something I’m learning to work on while I’m out here.

During one of Schuyler’s cardio boot camps this week I was so frustrated with myself because I couldn’t keep up. Schuyler told me to keep my incline high and my speed lower and that worked, but I was mad at myself. Of course, once I looked around the class I realized everyone was either half my age, or at least 50 pounds thinner than I am. Of course I couldn’t keep up. But in my mind I should be able to otherwise I’m a failure.

Sheesh! I obviously need to lighten up a bit which my friend Sharona likes to gently remind me.



What Have You Done For You Lately?
So…what have you done to put yourself FIRST this week?
Did you make time to exercise?
Did you make time to plan and prepare whole food nourishing meals?
Did you make time to relax in a warm bubble bath?
Did you make time to take a nap in a hammock or just stare at the sky and find adorable could shapes?
Did you at least stop to smell the roses?

How many of these questions get a YES from you? If the answer is NONE, then I urge you to Take Care of Business.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

I know it’s a movie title, not a song title like most of my posts, but it’s apropos for this posting.


The Good


There are so many good things I don’t know where to begin. First I have a shout out to my girl Debbie. I thought about you all day today because during 2 workouts they played “Sweet Child of Mine.” That is Debbie’s theme song - she sings it at every event we go to whether there’s karaoke or not.

Had a great walk on Venice Beach today. I walked up a storm for 60 minutes keeping my heart rate between 123-130 - my fat burning zone. I felt so empowered when I was finished.

Today I did bear crawls for the 1st time - something I haven’t been able to do my 1st three weeks. Every couple of days now I’m able to do something new that I couldn’t when I first arrived…what a great feeling!

This past week I’ve noticed how much I now sweat. It would always take me at least 20-30 minutes to begin sweating, but now that my fitness has vastly improved I sweat immediately. I sweat during every workout and feel gross at the beginning of my day, but I have to wait to get back to the apartment before I can shower. That shower in the evening is so cathartic!


The Bad

I only dropped 1 pound and 3.25 inches this week. I know those numbers are certainly better than nothing; however, The Biggest Loser is so ingrained in our psyches that we consistently expect bigger numbers. I was a little bummed, I’ll admit. I worked real hard last week and I ate only the healthy meals LIFE prepared for me without cheating.

So glad I’m not home because if I was when I got on the scale and had that result I would have said “F%*k it” and would have eaten whatever I wanted to make me feel better.

Obviously that’s one of the biggest issues I’ll have to deal with at home.


The Ugly
That would be my hair…my grays have grown in and I seriously need some help.

So I’m bringing in the professionals. I’m headed to Santa Monica tomorrow afternoon for a makeover at Art Luna Salon. Art is supposed to be one of the best in LA so I’ll be seeing for myself. I’m showing up and saying, “Make me a new woman.” I’ll post a picture for you when it’s done.

Wish me luck!

Positive Thoughts and Persistence Pay Big

Yesterday I took my allergy meds and headed to Marina Del Rey Beach for our weekly beach boot camp. At the beach there is a bird sanctuary that is surrounded by a large fence or cage (not sure how large the area actually is - at least several acres).



Boot camp always begins with a timed walk around the bird cage.

It’s not easy…we’re walking in the beach sand which is hell on your calves and lower back. It’s like walking or running in quicksand because you sink deep before you come back up only to plant another foot in the sand and sink deep again.

I wear Under Armour sneakers which have holes in them for ventilation. The ventilation is great, but the sneakers quickly fill up with sand and my feet feel like they are being strangled. So…I do beach boot camp in bare feet.

Okay, so we begin the workout with a timed walk around the bird cage and I timed in at 14:34. As a veteran of beach boot camp I already know that when we are being timed to do the first round slow because every time we do it again the trainers expect us to beat our previous time.

Next up was a G R E U L I N G round of stations:


Station 1


1. sprint to the 1st cone, drop and do 20 push ups


2. sprint to the 2nd cone, and do 20 squats


3. sprint to the 3rd cone, drop and do 20 burpees


4. sprint to the 4th cone, drop and do 20 full pushups


5. sprint back to the very 1st cone and repeat steps 1-5 four more times



Station 2


1. sprint sideways with right leg leading to 1st cone


2. sprint sideways with left leg leading to 2nd cone


3. drop and do 20 burpees


4. sprint to the 1st cone and repeat steps 1-4 four more times



Station 3


1. grab a partner, wrap a band around them and hold on to the ends.


2. the partner sprints in the sand for 40 yds. with you pulling them back (like Jillian does on The Biggest Loser


3. switch places


4. repeat steps 1-3 two more times

This was all followed up by doing the bird cage again. And we had to beat our 1st time.

My plan was to keep my girl Desi in my sights. She beat me by 1:30 last time so I knew if I could stay close to her heels, I’d beat my time. I rounded the final corner and Trainer Schuyler yelled to me that I had 30 seconds left. I sprinted full out to him. When I arrived at the finish line he had a big grin on face and said, “I lied. You killed it! Finished in 12:12!”

I took almost 2:30 off my first time. Who knew I could do that? I certainly didn’t. Schuyler’s trick just proves that our minds control our bodies. I thought I only had 30 seconds left and I sprinted to beat that.

Yes, I was gasping for air. Yes, my heart rate was very high. Yes, I did it!

And you can too. Your positive thoughts and persistence can take you anywhere. Where do you want to go?

If You Like Piña Coladas

We’ve talked about nutrition, healthy wholesome foods and entertainment foods. Now let’s talk about alcohol.


We all know those fabulous island drinks are filled with empty calories. The same goes for beer and wine. But what you don’t know is the real reason trainers tell you to watch your alcoholic intake…it’s not just the calories.

Alcohol slows down your metabolism for up to 72 hours.

Say what?

It’s true.

So if you go on a little drinking binge with your friends on Saturday night, then spend some quality time on Sunday and Monday trying to burn off those calories, your workout isn’t as efficient. Bummer!

The rule of thumb: alcohol is an entertainment food to be enjoyed 1-2 times a week and in moderation. Keep to that rule and your metabolism will thank you.

Famous Last Words

Didn't the end of my post yesterday say that I would pace myself for the next few days? 

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

I went in this morning and hit that gym like lightening.  So much for taking care of myself.

Today I went home even earlier than yesterday...I missed the last 2.5 workouts due to allergies.  They're making me feel like I have the flu. 

I can deal with it.

What I really love is when I look at myself in the mirror I can see that my shirts and shorts are getting big on me.  I have to throw out my sports bras...don't worry...the girls won't be flying around loose...I already have sports bras the next size down so the girls are taken care of.

Speaking of the girls...I have always had fibrous breast tissue and was told years ago not to worry about it because it's usually caused by caffeine.  Well I've been caffeine free for 2 months now and 90% of the fibrous tissue is gone.  I'm amazed!

If you recall, back in February when I began this blog my daily goal was to burn 300 calories during exercise.  Today I burned 2000 calories during exercise.  Imagine what I would have burned had I finished up the day...

I know when I return home that lofty 300 calorie burn goal will be out the window and the goal will be more like 1000.  I know it's a lot, but remember, when I get home I'll still be many, many pounds away from my goal weight. 

What are your daily calorie burn goals?  Don't have any...then I urge you to begn thinking about them.  Start out at 300 for the remainder of this month, then work your way up to 350 during the 1st half of May.  Baby steps will get you where you want to be.

Power on!